"I used to live with a candle. Now, speaking English, I live with the light that brightens up the whole room," said Li, who came to SNHU from Kunming, China. "Plus, the U.S. is the perfect environment to showcase one's talent and to bring out the best of each individual."

The first international student in the university's 3Year Honors Program in Business, she has immersed herself in campus life. This year, her second at the university, she is president of the International Students Association and served as an Orientation leader.

She familiarized herself with American culture by watching American movies talking to Americans in China before she came, there was some culture shock, she said.

"(The) individualism of America surprised me most. The hard part is to find the common ground when communicating with Americans, but I got over it as I gradually immersed into American life," she said. "The rather easy part is food. I was afraid I would not be able to adjust the food here, but it turned out it wasn't too bad."

Li plans to return to China after graduation and start a career as a cultural liaison for Chinese and U.S. businesses.

"Great business opportunities exist in China," she said.